The present invention relates to the general field of the use of electromagnetic waves to act on the metabolism of the human body in order to induce physiological changes, in particular to promote sleep, increase fertility, and treat adipose overloads.
An electromagnetic field is the composition of two vector fields that can be measured independently: an electrical field and a magnetic field. The component of the electrical field, present throughout the electromagnetic field, becomes significant from a frequency of 1 KHz, whereas, at a frequency of 50 Hz for example, the magnetic field predominates. In this application, the term magnetic field will be used to describe an electromagnetic field in which the magnetic component is predominant.
The application of a low frequency or high frequency electromagnetic field to reduce the adipose mass has been suggested many times in the prior art. However, no effective method against obesity has hitherto been found.
Reducing fatty mass by the application of a magnetic field has already been proposed. Reference can in particular be made to the documents FR 2,855,415, FR 2,906,727 and EP 2,068,810.
These documents describe devices for treating adipose overloads consisting of insulating straps applied to the part of the human body to be treated (abdomen, arm, thigh or calf), these straps being equipped with a conductor folded in successive strands and linked to an electromagnetic wave generator. In the document EP 2,068,810, the device also comprises a pressure therapy apparatus overlaid on the straps.
Although exhibiting certain results on the reduction of bodily fatty mass, the effectiveness of these devices remains limited. This is because these devices stimulate lipolysis only in the surface tissues.
Other treatment methods applied to the human body which apply low frequency electromagnetic fields have been described.
The document US 2010/0130945 in particular proposes preventing myocardial infarctions by applying a magnetic field whose intensity is varied according to the area of the body to which it is applied. The magnetic field would act on the muscular cells of the arteries or on the myocytes of the myocardium to relax the muscles and enhance blood perfusion.
The document US 2007/0255085 teaches the stimulation of the nerve tissues of a patient by combining ultrasounds with two magnetic fields, primarily in order to attenuate the pain. The document U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,373 proposed treating osteoporosis by applying a magnetic field with a frequency equal to 16 Hz and an amplitude equal to 20.9 or 12.7 microT.
Finally, the document WO 2008/127011 describes the complete irradiation of the body by a magnetic field with an intensity of between 3 and 30 microT, to act on the bipolarization of the cellular membranes and stimulate in particular the neurons, the muscular cells and the walls of the blood vessels. This document suggests applying this method to treat a large number of diseases, including obesity. The frequency of the magnetic field applied is chosen to be equal to the resonant frequency of water molecules (12.5 Hz, 16.3 Hz, 23.4 Hz, 39.6 Hz, 87 Hz or 250 Hz) or to one of the frequencies of the brainwaves conditioning growth, concentration or memory for example.
The application of a high frequency electromagnetic field to reduce adipose mass has also been proposed.
The US patent application 2009/0125013 in particular describes a method for reducing adipose tissues by the application of electromagnetic waves of very high frequency, between 1 and 50 MHz. According to this method, the frequency and the polarity of an electrical field are adapted to the impedance of the adipose cells to destroy the lipid globules that are found inside the cells or to destroy the cellular membrane of the adipocytes. The form of the electrical field is generated by the association of two antennas respectively emitting in the plane parallel to the skin and in the perpendicular plane so as to be able to adapt the polarity of the electrical field to the form of the adipose area of the body to be treated.
Methods for treating various diseases by thermotherapy have also been proposed in the patent application US 2005/0090732. According to this method, the heat generated by an electromagnetic field with a frequency of between 0.1 and 900 MHz would theoretically make it possible to target the diseased cells by raising their temperature between 40 and 46° C., in order to destroy them. An entire list of diseases, including cancer, Aids, restenosis, tuberculosis and obesity, is given. This method has not however been proven in the treatment of obesity.
A device comprising a series of flat coplanar coils which overlap and which are supplied individually by a pulsed current has already been proposed in the application US 2003/0158583 to stimulate the nerves or contract the muscles and treat various biological disorders by a high frequency electromagnetic field in which the electrical component is predominant. However, this device is designed to generate a diffuse electrical field which is always directed toward the center of the body, so that it does not make it possible to target a particular area of the body. Furthermore, this device has the drawback of lacking safety in use, because the coils can easily slip relative to one another, and the current voltages used to operate it are very high.
The document WO 1996/16692 also describes a device in coil form for generating an electromagnetic field of very high frequency, typically between 20 and 50 kHz, and of very high intensity, of the order of 2 Tesla, for contracting the abdominal muscles or stimulating the nerves. This device offers risks to health because it exposes the organs of the body such as the heart, the lungs or the brain to excessively intense electromagnetic waves.